My dad uses a c pap machine and I have a concern?
He has severe sleep apnea and uses a c pap machine nightly when he is home. I was wondering if once someone begins using one, will their body become dependent on it making the apnea worse when they are not using it? I’m asking because my dad travels back and forth to china every month and has admitted he does not use it on the plane! He also dozes off while watching tv and obviously doesn’t wear it then. I just worry about him.
Tagged with: c pap machine • china • dad • sleep • sleep apnea • watching tv
Filed under: Sleep Apnea Machine Questions
Untreated sleep apnea has severe consequence. Using it will not make you lungs worse. It is a "splint" to hold you airway open so it will not collapse. Unfortunately, you can not use it on a plane. I fell asleep on a plane that was delayed and I had been up almost 24 hours. I slept only 30 minutes without it and had symptoms for days including a headache, add, felt exhausted for days. Had trouble focusing in a seminar.
However, he should not be falling asleep watching TV while he is home. He may need more pressure. I watc tv in bed –a bad habbit I know but I wear my bipap to watch tv so I do not fall asleep without it on.
Don’t worry. If he can’t breathe, he will wake up. People who use CPAP can become dependent on them but it’s not a bad dependence. Afterall, they use them when they need them to breathe. If the cause of his apnea is being overweight, then he should of course try to lose weight to reduce his dependence on CPAP.
He needs the c-pap when he goes into his REM sleep. When he is napping he does not go into his REM and so the snoring will help him. Will he get worse from using it…NO…will he become dependent…that one is hard in the terms that without it he COULDF die especially if he drinks alcohol or uses drugs (even if just sleeping pills). Good luck.